And yet it seems that's what I expected. The new cute coat, big house or upgraded I-Phone would fill a longing...make me feel like enough.

But bless me for trying. It's understandable that I got confused since my brain delivered a bump of feel-good dopamine when I purchased something. And bravo to the sophisticated marketing gurus who have spent the past 70 years getting better and better at convincing us that things make us whole, beautiful, popular, acceptable, trendy, even lovable.

We have been conditioned to look to things to make us feel safe, peaceful and content. For those who see behind the curtain, it's clear that we are looking in the wrong place.

A world of stuff will never be able to fill that space of wondering what we're doing here. What our purpose is. How to feel content, peaceful and a sense of enough...the existential puzzle of life.